Khentii Wilderness Ride

Visit the sights and sounds of Ulaanbaatar before leaving for a 10-day trek on horseback through the Khentii National Park. It is a chance to discover the most remote and beautiful areas of the Khentii Mountain range. Ghengis Khan started life on the banks of the Onon River in Khentii.  Khentii National Park with its unique wilderness covers 1.2 million hectares of rugged mountain scenery, forests, wetlands and alpine tundra in the north-east of Mongolia. The Onon and Kherlen Rivers flow through its borders and the area is dotted with therapeutic hot springs, used for centuries for their healing qualities. Rare mammals include the endangered musk deer, moose, brown bear, wolf, fox, roe and elk which roam the forests. Deep in the forested valleys, you will discover the hidden jewel of the area – Khagiin Khar or the Black Lake, truly wild and remote. Bears, wolves, red deer, moose and other wild animals are the only inhabitants in this strictly protected area.

Day 1

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day exploring the city. In the evening, enjoy a cultural performance,  followed by dinner in a local restaurant with your guide.

Day2

Head east of Ulaanbaatar, reaching Khentii National Park after a 3-hour drive. Many nomads live in this area, and you can see yaks, sheep, goats and horses grazing in this peaceful valley. After lunch in a ger camp, hike through lush meadows for a couple of hours towards the Tuul River valley, where you will meet your horsemen. Dinner and camp on the Tuul River bank.

Day 3

After a substantial breakfast, saddle your horses and prepare for the linear ride, while the packhorses are being loaded. Ride into the valley along the base of mountain ranges leaving civilisation behind.  As you enter the wilderness watch out for birds, marmots and ground squirrels. Camp for the night.

Day 4  

Follow the Tuul River and enter the dense pine forest, at the southern tip of Siberian Taiga. Throughout the three-and-a-half hour ride, lok out for golden eagles, woodpeckers, and other birds. Camp for the night where the Tuul and Hagiin rivers meet.

Day 5

Leave the Tuul Valley behind and enter the tundra forests, a typical moose habitat. Learn to read their marks and by the end of the day, you will be able to detect their presence like an expert! After an hours riding, ascend a mountain through deep forest noted for its abundance of wolves, bears, deer and moose. Having reached the top descend to the breathtaking Black Lake, where camp will be set up on the yellow sandy beach.

Days 6-7

After 3 days of riding enjoy a well deserved rest at the lake and let horses rest and enjoy the lush grass. There will be ample time to swim, fish, hike and explore the area.

Day 8

Saddle your horse and ride to 3 smaller lakes further in the valley, known locally as the ‘three pearls’. The most adventurous of you can climb the surrounding mountains and admire the superb panorama. Spend the night in a nearby valley.

Day 9

After breakfast ride through Khongoryn River valley downstream for 4 hours. Enter a mountainous forest of birch, pine and age-old cedar and spend the night camping in the forest, close to a stream.

Day 10

We will make a steep ascent, and an even steeper descent across the Khaviragiin Pass, which lies at the eastern shoulder of Altan Olgii Peak. Translated as ‘Golden Cradle,’ this 2646m mountain is one of the highest peaks of the Khentii Range. We will continue riding towards Terelj through the Dund Bayan Gol Valley. As before, luggage, food and equipment will be carried by packhorses. Towards the end of the day, we will meet up with the support vehicles, and set up camp for the night.

Days 11 – 12

We will drive to our camp in Ogoomor Valley and enjoy 2 days of rest. There will be opportunities to hike or visit local families and learn about their ways of life. On the last evening, you will have a traditional Mongolian meal of “Khorkhog”. This is mutton cooked slowly in a huge, metal urn with vegetables, water and hot stones from a flaming fire. The meat becomes soft and tasty and the water turns into a thick meaty broth.

Day 13

After breakfast we will return to UB and check into the hotel.

Day 14

In the morning, you will visit Gandan, the largest functioning monastery in the country, and there will be time for shopping before lunch. In the afternoon, you can discover the treasures of the National History Museum. The rest of your afternoon is free, before a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 15

Morning transfer for your international departure.

2012 dates: 11th - 25th June & 6th - 20th August

2012 prices: from £1550 per person. Prices are dependant on group size

Not Included: Flights and Travel Insurance

Single supplement: £100 for hotel & £140 for tent

Accommodation: 3* hotel and tented accommodation plus all meals

Meeting Point: Ulaanbaatar

Indicative flight price: London to Ulaanbaatar £900pp - £1100pp return 

Transfer: Transfer & internal flights Included

Hours In Saddle: 4/8 per day

Max Weight: 90kg

Group Size: 2-12

Suitable for non-riders: No

Call us on +44 (0)1225 424413 or email contact@redlandsequestrian.com to check the ride availability and dates, once we have confirmed availability you can download and fill in a booking form:

• UK Rides Booking Form
• Worldwide Rides Booking Form

Each rider in the party must also complete a riding ability questionnaire before we can complete the final confirmation of your holiday booking.